Study Looking for Super Seniors in B.C.

The Canadian Cancer Society has funded a study to look at the genes of seniors who have reached 85 without developing cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes or lung disease.

“It appears that some of these amazingly health super seniors, who are still active and busy at an advanced age, could be genetically protected from cancer-causing mutations,” lead investigator Dr. Angela Brooks-Wilson says in the Cancer Society media release.

In it’s first phase, the $1.12 million Canadian Institutes of Health Research study gathered data on 500 “super seniors” beginning in 2002. Now, the research will continue looking at genetic characteristics that may have protected these people from cancer. The first study revealed that the parents of participants generally lived 14 years longer that other people of the same time.

Another branch of the study will look at people 100 years and older and they will be accepted into the study no matter what their health.

One of the participants, Dr. Robert Wiener, 106, gives great advice on living a well into old age.
“Exercise a lot, eat properly and don’t stop at the pub too often.”

The study is based in Victoria, British Columbia where this is a high concentration of senior citizens. Anyone interested in participating can all 1-604-675-8151 and more information can be found at the Cancer Society Website www.cancer.ca .